Electric safety-lamp.



J. G. PATTERSON.

ELECTRIC SAFETY LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1910.

1,070,522. Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON, OF DARLINGTON, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC SAFETY-LAMP.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN GEORGE PArrnR- SON,a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident ofDarlington, in. the county of Durham, England, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in and Relating to Electric Safety- Lamps forUse in Mines or other Like Places, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric safety lamps for use inmines or other like places and specially refers to the combinationtherewith of an improved means for detecting or indicating the presenceof gas or fire-damp.

There are several known methods of electrically testing forthe presenceof gas such as the Liveing |firedamp indicator, with plattinum wires inseparate chambers; or the diffusion of gas through a porous plate towork a switch to cut out the light when in the presence of gas or firedamp, but many of these tests are not practicable or reliable for use incoal mines.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved electric safetylamp with means combined therewith for indicating the presence of gas orfire-damp in a way that can be used by any official or ordinary miner.

My invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric safetylamp provided with an additional lamp for detecting the presence of gasor fire-damp; Fig. 1 is a section on line g Fig. 1 of a detail part.Fig. 2 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anelevation and Fig. 4 is a plan of the gauze or gauzes and a bonnetgallery made integral therewith for the oil lamp; Figs. 5 and 6 arevertical sections in planes at right angles to each other of the bodypart of the testing lamp and Fig. 7 is a sectional plan of Fig. 6 online aa-00 of Fig. 6.

According to my invention, I provide a portable electric lamp such as awhich may have either a primary or secondary battery, with a miners oilsafety lamp 6 permanently attached to it or part of the case containingthe electric lamp and battery; and as the oil lamp 6 is not intended togive light but only a glimmer at the flame when testing for gas, thelamp is made in a pe- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 25, 1910.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Serial No. 568,848.

culiar form, being much smaller than usual, weighing in fact only a fewounces and owing to its construction it is considerably safer than anynow in use. The main body I) of the testing lamp which may be made ofaluminium or other suitable material and having an opening for the lampglass is attached by means of screws 6 to one side of the casecontaining the battery of the electric lamp. A removable gallery orsocket piece 6 that is formed in one width or permanently secured to thegauze shield b is adapted to be screwed or otherwise fixed to the top ofthe part Z) and to receive the lower end of the shield or bonnet 5 seeFigs. 1 and 2. Admission openings 0 are made in the gallery 5 and exitopenings (Z are provided in the shield or bonnet 6*. The exit openingsin the shield may be closed to extinguish any gas burning in the lamp bymeans of an inner perforated adjustable ring 6 having an outwardlyflanged cover.

At the upper end of the shield If I provide a dovetail shaped or likekey piece f see Fig. 1 that is adapted to engage a correspondinglyshaped groove provided in a member 9 on the adjacent side of the lampcasing a. The oil vessel or reservoir of the testing lamp, which maycontain oil, alcohol, hydrogen, benzolinor the like is adapted to bescrewed into the lower open end of the main body of the lamp and to beheld against backward rotation by means of a sliding bolt or pillar itthat engages with a lug 6. When assembling the parts of the testing lampthe reservoir If is first screwed into place and the bolt 72 shot downinto its locked position. At its upper end It this bolt h is suitablyshaped for engaging under the flange of the gallery or socket piece 5 sothat when this is screwed into position the bolt cannot be raised andthe reservoir cannot be removed. Also as the gauze cover 6 is formedintegrally with the gallery .72 it is necessary when assembling theparts to put the gallery on before the shield 5 can be put in correctposition. The shield b can only be slid vertically into or out ofposition and it is therefore prevented from being re moved as long asthe cap or cover a of the electric lamp a is in place as the overhangingflange of such cover projects over the top 6 of the said shield Z). Thecap or cover a is locked or sealed by a lead plug, or by a springlocking bolt, unlocked magnetically.

Inside the box or case Z) of the testing lamp I provide a switch seeFig. 5, which is so constructed and mounted that in one position itcompletes the circuit of the electric lamp (4 through the medium ofcontacts 71;, Z and mechanically extinguishes the oil lamp 6 by means ofa cover plate or member m. When it is desired to test for gas, theswitch is operated to break the electric lamp circuit and expose thewick of the oil lamp. This wick is then ignited by the pressing of aspring-controlled push button a that closes by means of contacts 0, 79an electric circuit which causes a platinum wire 9 to glow in proximityto the burner wick or the like. The wick or the like being now ignitedthe presence of gas or fire-damp in the lamp which is indicated by ablue cap above the flame may be seen in the ordinary way through thelamp glass but with more certainty owing to the smallness of the lamp orthe relatively confined area in which the gas is tested. The switchterminals being inclosed in the case or box I) are perfectly safe in thepresence of gas. The glass 9" which is opposite the flame of the oillamp or the like may be a lens to magnify the flame to enable gas ifpresent to be seen more readily. In some cases the switch may serve alsofor completing the electric circuit for making the platinum glow, but toavoid the too rapid exhaustion of the battery it is preferred to use aseparate switch.

lVhat I claim is:-

1. In combination, a miners safety lamp comprising a casing having aremovable cover, a flame chamber secured to one side of said casing, asmall testing lamp secured. to said flame chamber so that the flame ofsaid lamp may project within said chamber, a glazed opening for saidchamber, a gallery resting on said chamber, agauze cone on said gallery,a shield for said cone, and means on the cover of the safety lamp forlocking said shield over said cone, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a miners electric safety lamp of an independenttesting lamp, comprising a burner, gallery, bonnet and gauze cap, andadapted to give only a small flame, means for securing the testing lampto the casing of the electric lamp, means within the testing lamp forlighting the testing lamp by a current from the electric lamp and meanswithin the testing lamp for breaking the circuit of the electric lampwhen the testing lamp is lighted as set forth.

3. The combination with a miners safety lamp of an independent testinglamp, means for securing the testing lamp to the casing of the safetylamp, and said safety lamp having a cover which at one part overhangsthe testing lamp and normally prevents the dis-assemblage of the testinglamp, as set forth.

l. A testing lamp adapted for attachment to a safety lamp and comprisinga gauze cap, a gallery, and an outer shield for said gauze cap, saidgauze cap being formed in one with the said gallery, so that the outershield cannot be fixed in its proper place until the gauze cap has beenput in its place, as set forth.

5. In combination a miners safety lamp, a miniature testing oil lamp orfuel burner exterior and secured to the safety lamp, and comprising anopen. ended body part, an oil container fitting the bottom end of thesaid body, a lens in one of the vertical sides of the body part, agallery fitting the upper end of the body part, a gauze integral withthe gallery, a shield supported by the gallery, a dovetail shaped blockon the shield and a block with dovetail recess on the safety lamp whichthe block fits, and the top of the shield when on the gallery lyingimmediately below the cover of the safety lamp, substantially as hereinset forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON. lVitnesses JOHN CAMP, FRED. J. MEREDITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

